Level of knowledge, Practice and Attitudes of Taking Anthropometric Measurements for Nutritional Assessments among Nurses Working in Dr. Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital, Malabe

Abstract

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenient sample of 125 nurses working at Dr. Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital (NFTH). A self-administered questionnaire with both open and close ended questions is used to determine the level of knowledge, practice and attitudes of taking anthropometric measurements for nutritional assessments, among the nurses working in NFTH. Out of 136 questionnaires 125 were correctly completed and returned. Majority of the nurses (53%) had a sound knowledge of taking anthropometric measurements. There is a significant association between the level of knowledge and the educational qualifications of the nurses. Graduate nurses had a ‘good’ knowledge level compared to the diploma or certificate holders which is statistically significant. The majority of nurses had a practice of taking weight measurements (48%) while 37% of nurses had a practice of taking measurements of weight and height. The entire group of participants had the attitude that “anthropometric measurements are important for nutritional measurements”. The majority (93%) of nurses were confident in taking weight measurements. Only 57% of nurses were confident in taking measurements of waist circumference. There is a significant difference in the knowledge level among graduate nurses, nursing diploma holders, and nursing certificate holders. Among them, graduate nurses’ knowledge was higher than the other two groups. The level of knowledge, practice and attitudes in taking anthropometric measurements for nutritional assessments had no significant association with socio-demographic factors.